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Saint Augustine of Hippo is considered on of the greatest Christian thinkers of all time and the Doctor of the Church. Learn More:Saint Augustine

"The picture that is forming of Pope Francis from all these bits and pieces is not that of a Ratzingerian restorationist but of a centrist prelate whose theological views, tone, and emphases are characteristic of the post-Vatican II period. He is no Hans Kung. He is too pro-life and Marian for that level of theological conjecture. But it is a stretch to think that he shares Benedict’s rigorous critique of the crisis within the Church and the modern world. There is a reason why the progressive bloc within the previous conclave saw him as a desirable alternative to Ratzinger."

The favorite books and spiritual readings of the PopeFrom today's edition of Argentine daily La Nación:
Dolores Aleixandre
In his time as Archbishop, Jorge Bergoglio had a selection of books in his nightstand that may give a clue about the Pope's predilections. Of course, they do not comprise all the readings of pope Francis, more varied and numerous. But they are the texts that he uses to recommend to those people who place themselves under his spiritual guidance:The book that perhaps excites the new pontiff the most is The Lord, by the famous theologian and historian Romano Guardini.Another favorite author is Spaniard Dolores Aleixandre. She is a sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a theologian at the University of Comillas. Her titles most mentioned by Bergoglio are Baptized with fire [Bautizados con fuego] and Telling Jesus [Contar a Jesús].Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyen van Thuan, who spent 13 years in the prisons of the Vietnamese regime and is, as himself, a fervorous devotee of Saint Therese of Lisieux, is one of his other favorites. Above all due to Testimony of Hope, the spiritual exercises preached before John Paul II.Famous Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a Jesuit as he, and deceased in the past year, appears [on the list] with the biblical commentary of Words to live by [Parole per vivere] and Effata, dedicated to social communication.Another favorite [author] of Francis is Dutchman Henri Nouwen, chaplain of the L'Arche community and author of Return of the Prodigal Son.Paths of Hope [Wege zur Freiheit], a book close to self-help, is another one recommended by Bergoglio. His author is Benedictine Anselm Grün, a monk who is an expert in finance and business administration.Spanish priest José Luis Martín Descalzo, who died in 1991, comes up with his book Testament of the Lonely Bird [Testamento del pájaro solitario].Finally, Ethel Mannin, the author of Late have I loved thee, an English Anarchist pacifist who had a well-known relationship with Bertrand Russell, one of the masters of Atheism.

If all that time and energy spent "reading the papal tea leaves" was put toward the more worthy use of praying for our Holy Father, how much better off we would all be.

If the "reading the papal tea leaves" doesn't elicit the desired information, will the "papal cyrstal ball" or "papal tarot cards" be consulted next? Perhaps we should pray for Pope Francis, assume that he is doing his best to follow God's will for the Catholic Church, and then let the coming years of his papacy unfold according to God's will.